Best Snacks For Men
Sneaking to the kitchen in the middle of the night? Keeping a bag of sweets in your desk drawer? Stopping to by a bar of chocolate on your way home from work? If you do any of these things, you’re a snacker. Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to research conducted by Mintel, 94% of Americans snack every day. The problem is, we’re eating the wrong kinds of snacks.
Highly processed, sugary snacks – like chocolate, cookies, and doughnuts – are causing a huge increase in health problems. Eating them daily is terrible for our bodies and can lead to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer. But we’ve known that for years. The idea that junk food is bad for us is nothing new. But people still want to snack.
So, what do we replace junk food with? It’s important to find healthy snack alternatives that are low in calories but can still satisfy that in-between meal hunger. You can actually use snacks to your advantage by making sure you get some key nutrients in-between meals. We thought long and hard about choosing the 15 best snacks for men, here’s what we came up with.
Banana (With Almond Butter)
One of the hardest things about giving up sugary snacks is not being able to satisfy your sweet tooth. It’s true that most healthy foods aren’t sweet and, if you’re used to that sweet taste, it can be easy to give in to your cravings. So, that’s why, for the first snack on our list, we’ve chosen something that has a beautiful sweet taste and is still really good for you.
It’s really simple too. You just split open the banana with a knife, spoon the almond butter into the middle, and sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Then, wrap it in tin foil and pop it in the oven for 15 minutes. A full one is around 200 calories, or you could split it in half and enjoy it with a friend.
This is a much healthier way of satisfying the sweet craving after a meal. Plus, it’s vegan, gluten-free, and doesn’t contain any processed ingredients.
Kiwis
Kiwis are one of the most underrated fruits out there. They often pop up in fruit salads and interesting dessert recipes, but you almost never see someone snacking on a kiwi. Maybe it’s because you have to peel away the hairy outer skin, which might be too much like hard work for some people.
But, if you’re not afraid of a bit of graft, then the kiwi is, hands-down, one of the best snacks you can have. It’s absolutely packed full of nutrients, like vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, folate, and potassium. Plus, they’re a great source of fiber and have lots of antioxidants. If there was a perfect fruit, the humble kiwi would definitely be a contender.
You don’t have to eat them on their own, either. There’s a ton of awesome kiwi snack recipes. Try spreading some mascarpone cheese over a slice of rye bread and placing sliced kiwis on top. This is a delicious and healthy snack that will soon have you forgetting about that bag of crisps.
Pistachios
It’s not new information that pistachios are a great snack food. They are jam-packed with nutrients and are great at satisfying those annoying hunger pangs. Amazingly, they are also great for weight loss and are proven to improve your gut and heart health.
They are one of the best sources of vitamin B6. If you haven’t heard of this vitamin, you need to. It’s essential for various functions, including blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin. Pistachios are also rich in antioxidants. Making sure you have enough antioxidants in your diet is important for reducing the risk of diseases, like cancer.
We’ve been eating pistachios since 7,000BC. They might not have known about the amazing health benefits back then, but we certainly do now. They’re one of those rare foods that are rich in protein and low in calories, which makes them the perfect healthy snack. Oh, and they taste really good.
Fruit Smoothie
The great thing about fruit smoothies is that they can be used as a snack, a meal, a post-workout meal, and even a desert. They are super healthy, quick to make, and taste amazing. Learning how to make them gives you a powerful way of getting meat-free food that packs serious protein and nutrients into your diet.
If you are trying to lose weight, it’s important to remember that you need to burn more calories than you are eating. So, using protein smoothie can be a good way of reducing calories at meal times. But you can also use them to snack between meals.
If you are creating a protein smoothie snack, you should make it lighter than you would if it’s a meal. That means using fewer ingredients and not stacking your smoothie with lots of protein or fiber. Instead, just add fruit, vegetables, and liquid, and leave it at that.
If you do want to add extra protein to your smoothie, you can use protein powder or natural ingredients like oats, spinach, kale, chia seeds, or hemp seeds and mix them all in your home blender or juicer.
Goji Berries
Goji berries have become one of those ‘it’ foods in the last few years. They have their roots in Ancient China when they were used as a medicinal plant. In fact, some people still use them to this day to treat conditions like eye, liver, and kidney diseases.
But, apart from its medicinal qualities, the goji berry also makes a great snack. They’re a pretty awesome source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, zinc, and fiber. Plus, they contain a lot of antioxidants, which, as we explained above, are essential for fighting off diseases. They can also help weight loss and strengthen your immune system.
Goji berries are something of a super-food. They have so many awesome health benefits, it’s a wonder we aren’t all munching them down all day. They can be used like raisins or berries, just add them to your cereal or eat them on their own. Either way, make sure you eat them, it could save your life.
Crackers & Cheese
Wait, what? Are you saying that I can eat crackers and cheese as a healthy snack in between meals? The short answer is yes, but there’s a lot more to it than that. For a start, you have to eat this snack in moderation. In fact, that goes for all snacks. You can’t nail a whole pack of crackers and a block of cheese and expect to get rock-hard abs. You really need to watch how much you eat. If you want to make sure it’s still satisfying, you should eat it slowly and make sure to chew and take in the flavor. Wolfing down snacks never helped anyone stay in shape.
Secondly, you need to choose the right crackers and cheese. For example, whole-grain crackers are a fantastic source of fiber and part-skim mozzarella is really low in fat. Doing your research and buying the right crackers and cheese means you can enjoy your favorite indulgent snack, without feeling too guilty.
Hot Cereal
If you’re wondering what hot cereal is, don’t worry, we’re not asking you to put your Cornflakes in the microwave. Hot cereal is another term used for an oat-based cereal like porridge, that’s served hot. For years, it’s been seen as an unglamorous breakfast option. Also known as mush or gruel, it’s certainly not seen as the breakfast of kings and queens. However, the obvious health benefits can’t be ignored. It’s a hot and healthy way to start the day, without the need for a fatty fry up.
There are loads of different types of hot cereal. You can even use ingredients like leftover rice and quinoa to create your own hot cereal. But for the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on oatmeal. Oatmeal is a classic when it comes to breakfast items. It’s a powerful source of fiber and contains lots of beneficial antioxidants. If it’s a bit bland on its own, there are loads of ways to improve it without resorting to sugar or syrup. Try splashing some honey on top or adding lots of delicious berries. You can also add nuts to give it some crunch.
Eggs
Not many people associate eggs with snacks. They are so ingrained in our mind as the main meal ingredient that it’s hard to think about them as a snack option. But they are actually a super healthy way of snacking whilst keeping your portion to a minimum. Because they are so rich in protein, they fill us up and get rid of the cravings much more effectively than other foods.
Hard boil a couple of eggs in the morning, then pop them in the fridge, so you can eat them throughout the day when you need to. You can slice them and put them in a salad or cut in half and sprinkle with paprika for an extra kick.
One egg only contains around 75 calories but has 7 grams of protein. They also contain a lot of vitamins, minerals, and iron. It’s proven that people who eat eggs in the morning, eat fewer calories throughout the day. So, it’s about time we started thinking about eggs in a new way.
Yogurt
You have to be careful with Yogurt. For a start, you really need to know what you are looking at. It’s one of those foods, where the shelves are stacked with so many different variations, it’s hard to know which ones are healthy. A lot of yogurts are packed full of artificial sweeteners, that will end up causing you more harm than good.
You need to look for a natural yogurt that doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners and is low in calories. Avoid sweetened and light yogurts. This will provide you with an excellent source of protein and vitamins and minerals, without piling on the calories. You can make it sweeter using honey and by adding fruits. You can also add yogurt to plain cereal as an alternative to milk.
Pumpkin Seeds
When it’s a choice between pumpkin seeds and a bar of chocolate, most people would probably go for the chocolate. Pumpkin seeds aren’t the most exciting snack out there, but they are so healthy, we just couldn’t deny them a place on this list. They’re rich in antioxidants, iron, zinc, magnesium, and loads of other nutrients. They also contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These provide great health benefits for your heart and liver. All this makes them one of the best superfoods out there.
They’ve also been proven to improve weight loss and help stop balding. So, it’s probably the perfect healthy snack for men. To get the most out of them, you should eat them raw, but they also do taste good roasted, toasted, or pan-fried. You can also incorporate them into salads, pesto, and other dishes.
Protein Shake
If you haven’t heard about protein shakes, we don’t know what rock you’ve been living under. In the last ten years, it seems like every man and his dog has experimented with protein shakes as part of their mission to get the perfect body. And, there are a few good reasons that everyone is trying them. Protein shakes, first and foremost, are an excellent source of high-quality protein. It contains all of the necessary amino acids and is easily digestible. This makes it one of the best sources of protein.
It also promotes muscle growth, lowers blood pressure, and can help diseases like diabetes and bowel disease. However, even though it’s one of the most researched supplements out there, a lot of these health benefits aren’t 100% proven. The most important thing to remember, when using protein shakes as a snack, is that you need to be burning off the calories. Drinking it in between meals isn’t going to improve your body unless you are working out regularly.
You can buy a protein shaker and high-quality protein powder from lots of different online retailers.
Protein Bars
If you’re not a shake kind of guy, but still want a way of getting high-quality protein into your diet, you should check out protein bars. Like protein shakes, they contain a high level of protein compared to the relatively small amount of fats and carbohydrates. This means that energy bars are the perfect alternative to a bar of chocolate and the perfect addition to any man who exercises regularly.
There are now hundreds of different options out there, but you should look for something with around 8 grams of protein and less than 13 grams of sugar. Remember, like all in-between meal snacks, you need to be careful about eating too much. You can’t just eat 3 protein bars between your meals and expect to not gain weight.
Avocado Slice on Cracker
No list of healthy snacks would be complete with a mention of avocado. It has a staple for vegans, vegetarians, and even meat eaters all over the world. In fact, due to the avocado’s increase in popularity, Mexican gangs started to control the export. That’s when you know it’s serious. So, why is the avocado so popular. Well, apart from the taste, they are jam-packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin E, and vitamin B6. That’s a lot of vitamins.
Plus, they contain nutrients like riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, magnesium, and potassium. You can eat them on their own, but for a delicious crunchy snack, spread one over a whole-wheat cracker.
Dark Chocolate Peanuts
You might not have expected to see chocolate in this list. Well, we would certainly advise staying away from milk chocolate as a snack, but dark chocolate can actually be good for you. Of course, you have to eat it in moderation. As we all know, peanuts are a great source of protein and fat and are a perfect way to satisfy mid-morning or mid-afternoon hunger pangs. Add some dark chocolate to them to make them even tastier.
At about 10 calories per nut, you can eat a handful of them, without worrying too much about your weight. Dark chocolate is one of the best sources of antioxidants on the planet. Unlike sugary milk chocolate, dark chocolate can improve your health and lower the risk of heart disease.
Apple
Did you ever hear the expression: “An apple a day, will keep the doctor at bay.”? Well, it’s actually not far from the truth. Sometimes, when we want to snack, it’s best to stick to the old classics. Apples are rich in flavor and are really good for you. They contain 17% of your recommended daily fiber, as well as vitamin B and vitamin C. That means they are good for your gut health and skin health. They’re also rich in antioxidants, which prevent deadly diseases, like cancer and diabetes. While it’s not the most revolutionary advice to suggest an apple as a snack, it deserves a place on this list because they’re so good for you. You can’t go wrong!
Sources:
- A Snacking Nation: 94% Of Americans Snack Daily – Mintel
- Nutrition – Healthline
